Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wham, Bam, Thank You Glam, January 14, 2000
Unlike what other reviewers have stated, the tracks on this disc ARE ORIGINAL RECORDINGS. Some of the confusion with Sweet is a lot of CD's from the group (primarily imports) are re-recordings or re-mixes of their famous 1970's-hits, so buyers beware. In the early 1970's these British glam-rockers were rated up there with David Bowie, but while Bowie moved on to bigger and better things, Sweet was never able to make the transition (the rise of disco music may be partly to blame). More unfortunate is the fact that recordings from Sweet's most productive period (1972-76) are not readily available (Capitol Records: Are you listening?). All that is available is the 1975 LP "Desolation Boulevard", which was clearly the band's best, and "Best of Sweet". "Best of" is a fairly decent compilation. Other than the glaring omission of their 1973 hit "Hell Raiser", most of the tracks that should be on the disc are included. Among the highlights: "Little Willy"; "Wig Wam Bam"; "Ballroom Blitz" (later covered by Tia Carrere on "Wayne's World"); "Fox On The Run"; "Action"; and "Love Is Like Oxygen" (I actually prefer the edited version that appears on this disc). I've owned these songs on vinyl and still listen 25 years later, which probably says enough. Further note to record "executives": the European version of "Desolation Boulevard" contained different songs than the U.S. LP (and CD). It would be nice if someone showed some foresight to re-issue the LP with these "missing" songs.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sweet sound of the seventies, October 7, 2002
This collection completely ignores their early pre-Glam period when they had brilliant bubblegum hits with songs like Funny Funny and Coco. So it covers mainly their best songs from the glam era when their sound gained a harder edge, and their late 70s period when they gained rock/heavy metal credibility. They always had the best hooks, their harmonies were tops and the expert production assured them regular top 10 status for a good many years. Songs like Ballroom Blitz, Fox On The Run and Teenage Rampage are rowdy little teen anthems which still sound fresh today. Love Is Like Oxygen is a lush rock ballad while Mother Earth impresses with its beautiful acoustic guitar sound. Besides the aforementioned Funny Funny and Coco, some of their other big hits not found here are Poppa Joe, Hell Raiser, Set Me Free, Restless and Sweet FA. Although incomplete, this album is worthwhile as a showcase of seventies power pop and includes enough of their most popular numbers to satisfy the fans.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The SWEET sound of success, November 15, 2004
The Sweet went through three very distinct periods, and this Greatest Hits paints a picture for each segment. There was the early bubble-glam period, where the Sweetshop shortened their name to Sweet and churned out Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman insta-hits like the insanely catchy "Little Willy" and the inane "Wig Wam Bam." The band was soon tired of being pop pretty boys and really wanted to rock. Chinn/Chapman fed them "Ballroom Blitz," but with "Fox On The Run," Sweet proved they could make international hits fine on their own.
After that, the band broke off with Chinn/Chapman and recorded "Give Us A Wink," a sly glitter rock album that featured the incendiary "Action." That was the roar that inspired 80's pop metal from Def Lepard to Poison, with "Stairway to the Stars" and "The Lies In Your Eyes," while not American Hits, are just as tasty.
Then the band decided that hits alone weren't good enough, and they took a shot at musical "credibility." "Level Headed" sounded less like Sweet and more like Alan Parsons, but "Love Is Like Oxygen" (included here in the single edit) was a masterpiece. Unfortunately, the following album was without Brian Conolly and pretty much was a forgettable work. ("Mother Earth" was ok, "Sixties Man," better.) But most of these songs are guilty pleasures, and still sound fresh now. After all, almost 30 years later, how can you resist that opening call of "Ballroom Blitz?"
.....all right fellas, let's Goooooooooooooo!
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